Camera and light support



March 2 0. CARPENTER, 5R 2,418,067

CAMERA AND LIGHT SUPPORT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, .1946

March 1947- o. e. CARPENTER, SR 2,418,067

CAMERA AND LIGHT SUPPORT v Filed Feb. 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5+ I? E 1i 7 ;l 5):- 1 1 IL, .i

: Li l i-ll 54 5 I l' s a l t" 1 5 Mam]! o, G. CARPENTER, 5R bAuERA ANDLIGHT surron'r Filed Feb. 8, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet s 554 fjwuwomaaaarpent'e 1', 5r.

March 25,- 1947.

o. G. CARPENTER, SR 2,418,067

CAMERA AND LIGHT SUPPORT V 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 8, 1946 0.GCarpenier, 91;

I v V Patented Mar. 25, 1947 1' OFFICE CAMERA AND LIGHT SUPPORT OwenGrifiith Carpenter, Sr., Pelham, N. Y.

Application February 8, 1946, Serial No. 646,261

12 Claims. (Cl. 248l61) The present invention relates to improvements inphotographer's apparatus and more particularly to means for setting upand encasing for portability supporting parts for the camera and/orlights.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a light, strong, rigid andcompact box which may be conveniently carried about from place to place,readily opened for removal of its contents, manipulated for positioningit rigidly so as to support and center a camera and/or lights by aid ofsaid contents, and maintained as well as equipped in camera-heightvarying relationship.

Another object thereof is to provide a suitable case with suitablecavities for receiving, holding as Well as concealing the variouscomponent parts making up the camera and/or lights supporting means.

A further object thereof is to provide a narrow, rectangular fiat-sidedcase so shaped, manipulated and controlled that it may perform the dualservice of encasing the camera and/or lights, supporting means as wellas provide a rigid base member upon which said means may be detachablyand firmly anchored.

A still further object thereof is to provide a sectional, portablecarrying case for photographers camera and/or lights setting upmechanism or equipment in such a form and in such a manner that, insteadof employing a tripod as the means for centering the camera firmly uponthe ground or other under surface or supthe camera and/orlights erectingand suppo rt-' 4 ing means.-

port a unitary post is employed serviceably and conveniently.

Another object thereof is to provide such a formation and operation ofand for camera and/or lights, setting up mechanism, or means,

as will efiectively and rigidly mount the same upon its supportingsurface when in use, permit the same to be collapsed into knockdown assembly, and permit instant conversion of the base portion thereof into abox designated to receive and removably contain concealedly therein saidmechanism or means so that no part thereof is extraneous thereto.

Another object thereof is to provide, a device of the kind described,means for giving instant accessibility to the contents of the carryingcase.

A still further object thereof is to provide, in a device of the kinddescribed, means for varying the angular relationship of the boxsections for the purpose, not only of making one section rigidly bracethe other section, but also for the purpose of amplifying the area ofthe sections when it serves as a base member for Another object of theinvention is to provide in a device of the kind described, means forvarying the length of the camera supporting means with respect to itsbase member or anchoring means, for the purpose of holding the cameraand/or lights at different levels.

A further object thereof is to provide, in a device of the characterdescribed, means for juxtaposing the base member forming sections of thebox is such in amanner in flat contact with its under surface thatwhether same is to be mounted upon a floor, or outside of a building,upon the ground, the camera and/or lights erecting and holding meanswill have sufiicient spread upon its under supporting surface as well asadequate purchase thereupon as will best conduce to position it in arigidly mounted manner.

A final object thereof, is to provide, in a device of the kinddescribed, non-projecting surfaces shaped in a manner to provide handlegrips by mean of which the photographer is able to conveniently hold andcarry about with him the present invention.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in thecombination, arrangement and detail of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specifications, and then more pare ticularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention, in set-upposition,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of my invention, in set-up position,-

Figure 3 is a plan view of my invention confined to showing thequalified position of the sections of the carrying case, some partsbeing in section also showing position of the case for the base,

Figure 4 illustrates longitudinal sectional views of the parts ofFigure. 3,

Figure is a view of one side of the carrying case and base,

Figure 11 is a view of the other side of the carrying case and base. and

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the carryin case and base.

narrow carrying case and to this end, both sec-.

tions are very narrow and rectangular in contour, havingflat sides thatare adapted to abut, as

shown in Figures 9 and 12 respectively.

Box section H (Figure 4) is formed with a threaded cylindrical bore 12,into which is threaded a nipple I3, in such a way that its outer end isflush with the adjacent side of this section and the other end of thenipple projects above the section a short distance, threads I4 beingformed on the nipple for this end. Nipple should be flush on both sidesof case. I 5

Inside of the nipple may be formedan annular shoulder ISa'if desired.The other box section ID has a central cylindrical hole l5 adapted toregister with the nipple so the nipple may pro- Ject snugly therethroughand be reinforced thereby. The sections Ill and II are formed withregisterable elongated rectangular slots I1 and I8, centrally of thesections, and closely contiguous to one common longitudinal edge of thesections, as shown in Figure 12. Between the longitudinally separatedends of the carrying case and base and the ends of the slots l1, [8 aretransverse portions 15 and 18 of the case which serve as end housingstherefor, while the longitudinal marginal portion 14 of the caseremotefrom the longitudinal edge opposite which the slots ll, iii

are formed, also serves as a longitudinal housing for the device.

' In this longitudinal housing section I4 is formed, upon each sectionor the box, complementarily, centrally thereof, elongated straightgrooves 20, concave in cross-section, designed to register when thesections are held in closing abutting relation. Each groove 20 is formedat opposite ends with half sockets 2|, 22, also concave in crosssection, which terminate at the ends of the box in half sockets 23, 24,also concave in cross section. The abutting sides of the sections aredesignated 25. Formed in one transverse housing portion I5 of the box,in each section III, II thereof, is a' disk receiving cavity 26,cylindri- Formed centrally upon the box sections ill and H are centrallylocated channeled out portions, shaped rectangular in contour, which aredovetail portions 33a where formed upon section cal in contour. AT-shaped half socket 21, of

large size, and another .T-shaped half socket 28 of small size areformed alongside each other in the opposite transverse housing portion16 of the box.

Rectangular half sockets 29 and 30 are also formed in both sections 10,l I of the carrying case and base, being-located respectively in bothhousing end portions thereof 15 and 16, being located between the diskreceiving half socket 23, and the adjacent cavity ends 2|,- 22 of theelongated grooves 20. Alarger rectangular socket 3| may also be formedin the end'housing portion 15 of the case, being located in back of thedisk-shaped cavity 26 thereof.

I I, and 32a where formed upon section I0. These channels aresubstantially square in cross section, as is seen from Figure 7. Thereis a hole 31, 38 formed respectively upon sections l0 and II, beinglocated in the end housing portions I5, 16 of the box.

There is also formed at the opposite ends of the case or carrying casecylindrical cavities 40 having annular c'ounterseats 39 formed therein.From Figure 9 it is seen that these cavities are formed with bores 40aopening out of the other side of the box section III, and that the otherbox section II is formed with a bore 401) to register with each bore49a. When the box sections register, as shown in Figures 9 and 12, screwbolts 41 are threaded into the threads of bores 40a, 49b of v the twosections, being manipulated by the wing heads 42 formed upon thesebolts. It is seen that when bolts 4| are screwed fully home, the wingheads thereof lie snugly in cavities 40 so as to be submerged therein.The camera and/or lights supportin post 0 the device is composed of aplurality of telescoping nested separate tubes or tube sectionsdesignated respectively 41, 48, 49,-having hollow bores 50 each, andbeing of varying diameters so that one fits into the other extensibly.The outer most tube of all nested tubes is designated 45, and has itsthreaded end 46 adapted to be screwed home into the nipple l3. Thegraduated lengths of all nested telescoping tubes is best seen at 5| inFigure '7. At one end of eachtube is fitted a ring or flange 53, in eachof which a hole 52 is I formed. Set screws or wing screws 54 areemployed to hold the telescoping tubes in extended relation. A disk isdesignated 55 and lies in disk cavities 26. It has a central threadedhole 56. The disc serves as a platform for the case.

At each of the opposite ends of the box sections i0 and l I are formedtransversely thereof, grooves of narrow width 32. A rod 51 is providedwhich terminates in a reduced stem 58. A large T-coupling or union 59 isprovided havingthe pipe stem 60 threaded thereinto. A short T-couplingor union BI is also provided. The lateral stem of coupling 59 isdesignated 52. A camera 63 has its flat base designated 64. A pair ofspikes II are provided having heads 12.

In operation the device functions in the following way: The collapsedpost, having all contained tubes nested is shown located with itsoutermost tube 45 located in elongated cavities 20, 24, of

the box sections and with its abutting flanged out end'received intocavities 24 in said sections. The tie bolts or spikesll fit intocavities 32. The large T-coupling fits in cavities 21. I The small oneis accommodated in cavities 32. The rod 5! lies in cavities 29. In theremaining. activities may be located the thumb bolts and otherconnections employed in setting up the camera and lights. When section II is surmounted upon section i0, so that their flatsides, are inabutment, it will be found that all cavities holding the parts of thesetting-up means for the camera, are snugly encased in housings, so thatthey cannot escape from the carrying case when it is being carried aboutafter screwing home the screw bolts 4! in both of the sections to clampthem detachably together.

when it is desired to apply operatively the setting-up means upon thebox sections the procedure is as follows: As seen in Figure 3, thechanneled out portions of both sections are placed together in anaccurate dovetail butt fit so the opposing walls of each channelcontacts the opposing longitudinal edges of the opposite sections. Inthis way the top surfaces of both sections are disposed in flushrelationship, while both sections intersect each other and assume acruciform contour, so that four right angularly'spaced apart arms of arigid base member is had, at A, B, C and D. The contents of the sectionshaving been removed therefrom, the various tubes constituting the post,are now assembled so that they are all pulled out of their encasingtubes the proper distance, once the proper height of the post isdetermined. Thereupon, the thumb screws 54 are all tightened so that theextended tubes may be locked in adjusted position as shown in Figure 1,and Figure 2. The lower end of the lowermost tube 55 will be threadedrigidly and firmly anchored into the nipple it, of the cruciform basemember. The rod 51 is then taken and slid into the interior of theuppermost part of the post, which is the coupling 59, after beingslipped through the bore of a collar it which rests upon the top edge ofthis coupling. The disk 55 will then be screwed home upon the reducedstem 58 of this rod so it rests upon the collar 13. Thereupon, theconventional camera may have its base portion at surmounted upon thedisk, and turned so the threaded stem 58 of the rod may be screwthreaded into the threaded hole in this camera base portion. The camerais now properly cen-- tered at the upper end of the post.

Next two blast lamps or the like may, by means of their sleeves 68 orthe like be adjustably mounted upon a supporting means now to bedescribed. The'lateral stem 62 of the coupling 59 carries the pipesection 60, and threadedly engaged upon the outer end of the latter isthe small T-coupling 6| into which is slidably mounted for adjustment atube 66 into which is adjustably telescoped a rod 61. The clamping thumbscrew 65 locksthe rod 66 in adjusted position. In this manner it will beseen that the tubular rodtfi extends in one direction with respect tothe camera while the rod 61 extends in an opposite direction theretowhile both rods are disposed in back of the camera which they straddle.

This is shown in Figure 1. The photographic apparatus may now be causedto function to take photographs. The lamps may, of course, easily beadjusted upon the rods or cross rod. When all parts are dismounted andreplaced into the box or carrying case, in the manner already explained,the two sections l0, ll thereof may be clamped together by means of thescrews 4! which engage both of them so that the thumb heads thereof arecountersunk in the section It],

and so that nothing contained in the box is extraneous thereto. Theoperator then inserts his fingers into both rectangular slots l'l, I8 ofthe case, and engages the hand grips 43, 44 and thereby is able to carrythe case about with him.

What I claim is:

1. A device, as described consisting of a cross shaped base member, apost rising rigidly therefrom centrally, a tubular mounting at the upperend of said post, a disk seated upon said tubular mounting and formedwith a central threaded hole, a rod mounted removably in said tubularmember having a reduced threaded stem threaded projectingly into saiddisk so as to extend thereabove, and lamp carrying means carried by saidpost at its uppermost end.

2. A device as described consisting of a cruelform rigid base, a postrigidly extending upwardly therefrom ,centrally, a T-coupling attachedto said post at its upper end, a tube having one end attached to saidcoupling, means extending into said coupling coaxially thereof foranchoring a camera thereupon, a T-coupling carried by the other end ofsaid tube. a cross rod mounted in the last-named T-coupling, meansclamping said cross rod into the mentioned coupling, and lamp supportingmeans carried by said cross rod.

3. A device of the kind described consisting of a two section body orcase of rigid construction, means removably attaching them in abuttingrelationship, the two sections being formed centrally with registeringlongitudinal rectangular slots adjacent to the margins thereof so as toprovide between the said margins of the sections and the adjacent edgesof said slots a carrying handle.

4. As a new article of manufacture a twosection rigid box, each sectionbeing of hollow interior, means for removably clamping said sectionstogether, in fiat contacting relation, each of said sections beingformed with registering elongated slots centrally thereof and. adjacentto one common marginal edge of both sections so that there is formed arelatively thin longitudinal hand hold for the fingers of a persons handinserted through both of said slots.

5. As a new article of manufacture a pair of similarly sized rigid boxsections, each section having a transverse channel formed centrallythereof, each channel having oppositely arranged parallel shoulders suchthat one section, when disposed in intersecting relation to the othersection and at right angles thereto may have the bottom of its channelnested in the bottom of the channel of the other section so that the topof the first section is flush with the top of the other section andwhereby both sections have a cruciform contour, and whereby the opposingshoulders of the channel of the second section abut the opposinglongitudinal edges of the first section, a post centering means carriedby the upper section of the cruciform set, and means for removablyattaching both sections in longitudinal alignment with said meansconcealed therein.

6. A device as described consisting of a pair of rigid box sections ofthe same size, having complemental elongated grooves, concave in crosssection for receiving in removable relation a series of longitudinallynested tubes as well as for receiving fastening elements for locking thetubes, one onto the other, in extendable relation when the nested tubesare removed from the box to form a post, the relation between the boxsections being such that when they are in flat surmounted position saidnested tubes and fastener elements are completely and concealedlyenclosed by them, a nipple projecting upwardly and centrally from onesection, the other section having a central registering hole for saidnipple, such that, said post made from said nested tubes may have itslower end attached rigidly into said nippie and project through saidhole and be vertically disposed with respect to both sections when thebox lies on its back. e

7. A device of the kind described consisting of a pair of box sections,a post removably anchorable into one box section, and composed ofnestable sections, means nesting the post carrying section into theother box section in intersecting right angular relation to provide acruciform .base member for said post, said box sections havingcomplemental grooves so disposed that when they register uponsurmounting longitudinally one box section onto the other, they mayreceive and concealedly enclose the nested post, and means for removablyattaching both box sections together in their last named positions. 1

8. A device of the kind described consisting o a pair of box sections ofrigid construction, said sections being centrally channeled outtransversely, the grooves having right angular oppositely arrangedwalls, the right angular walls of one section adapted to abuttinglystraddle opposing longitudinal edges of the other section in a planewith the channels of both sections so that the right angular walls ofthe other section abuttingly straddle the longitudinal edges of thefirst section, whereby the sections are inter-nested in cruciformrelation with the top surfaces flush to provide a rigid base member, aunitary structure of internested tube sections of varying diametersadapted in one box section position to be encased in both sectionsconcealedly, and in the cruciform relation of the sections adapted to beanchored into them rigidly and removably with the nested tubes extendedadjustably to provide a post, means also encased in said box sectionsfor locking the extended post tubes in post-setting-up position, andmeans for detachably clamping together the two box sections against thecontents thereof.

9. A device of the kind described consisting of j a pair of complementalbox sections of narrow formation, and of similar size, being channelledout centrally and transversely, so the channelled parts may be nestedtogether overlappingly to present a commonly flush top surface for bothsections when they inter-nest each other in cruciform relation wherebyarigid base member is had, but when said sections are placed in flatabutting contact in registration with each other the channels will alsoregister and provide a rectangular slot extending through the crosssection of the box, said sections also being slotted longitudinally andcentrally so as to communicate with said rectangular slot, so thatmarginal surfaces of both sectionslie contiguous to said communicatingslots and are flanked by said and means for removably attaching saidsections together in abutting flat contact.

10. A device as described consisting of a sectional fiat-sidedrectangular box, shaped to provide a carrying handle, marginallythereof, as

well as shaped so as to position one section intersectingly of the otherin surmounted cruciform relation with the adjacent-surfaces of bothsections flush, a sectional length reducible post, means whereby saidpost is removably anchored into said sections when the box lies upon oneoiv its sides, means whereby said post, when reduced in length therefor,is concealedly encased between and in both box sections when theyregister in box formation, and means for removably attach? ing both boxsections together in the latter relationship.

11. A device of the kind described'consisting of a pair of symmetricalbox sections of narrow' cave in cross section for receiving and holdingtherein concealedly a length extensible post adapted to be threadedlyinserted rigidly into the threaded hole of one section and theregistering hole of the other section.

formed on said sections providing handle grips therefor for carrying itabout.

OWEN GRIFFITH CARPENTER, Sa,

REFERENCES orrian The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,107,075 Karges Aug. 11, 19141,754,766 Phillips Apr. 15, 1930" 1,878,320 I Potter .e. Sept. 20, 1932

